Tile setter



Oct. 14, 1930. w. MCCOY 1,778,561

TILE SETTER Filed July .3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Anne-xv mwzij;

w. M COY TILE SETTER Filed July 3, 1928. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j jxw/ F t n.1 A w P Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAMMCCOY, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'IO AMERICAN ENCAUSTIC TILINCOMPANY, LTD., 013 NEW YORK, N. 'Y., A. CORPORATION OIF-NEW YORK TILEsE'rTnn application filed July 3,

This invention is a means for exposing ceramic ware to the heat of akiln in the heat treatment of the ware, and it is useful, moreparticularly, in the operations of glazing wall and floor tile, althoughthe principle of the invention is available for the heat treatment ofceramics generally and ceramic products generally.

One object of the'invention is to provide for the assembly of asubstantial number of ceramic products after the latter shall have beencoated with a glazing substance, and to retain the same in spaced orderfor exposure to high heat within a kiln or other chamber, with a view tosubjecting said coated products to heat treatment whereby the coatingsare baked and developed into glazes upon the surfaces of the products.

My. invention is embodied in a one piece carrier in the form of a rackcomprising a base, a plurality of columns extending up Wardly from saidbase, and a top member in the form of a crown functioning as means forprotecting the assembled coated products from exposure to foreignmaterials which have a tendency to drop fromthe ceiling of the kilnchamber. Y

The base and the top member are in one piece with the columns, resultingin a skeletonized rack-like structure all the parts of which are openfor the unobstructedflow of heat and gases into the required contactwith the coated surfaces of the products. It is usual to employ twocolumns, extending between the base and the top member, and said columnsare perforated to produce openings for the flow of heat andgases Meansfor supporting theceramic products are provided upon the columns, saidmeans being in the form of narrow shelves positioned for the shelves ofone column to lie in the planes of the similar shelves on the companioncolumn, whereby an operator is enabled to load the carrier with tiles bythe'mere act of sliding the tiles between the columns and upon theshelves, and in like manner, after the rack and its load shall have beenremoved. and cooled, the tiles may be discharged byeither removing thetiles individually or by dumping them by a sliding motion out of therack.

1928. Serial No. 290,231.

vention in connection with a glazing kiln of 4 the character disclosedin Prouty Patent No.

1,613,054, wherein the ware to be treated is loaded on conveyor-slabscomposed of heat resisting material. hen so used, a rack is depositedupon each conveyor-slab the movement of which transports the loadedracks within the mufile chamber of a kiln for exposure of the coatedtiles to the required hea tr atrnent. Under these conditions, it isdesirable to anchor the loaded carriers or racks to the correspondingconveyor-slabs, for which purposes I provide the base of each rack orcarrier with an opening, and employ a draft pin or lug on thecorresponding conveyor-slab, which pin or lug enters the opening andthus affords temporary anchorage for the rack upon the conveyor-slab,the effect of which is to insure the movement of the loaded rack withtheconveyor slab and to preclude the dislodgment of the loaded reel:with respect to said conveyor-slab.

In the service ofconveyor slabs within a muiile kiln it is found thatthere is a tendency, at certain periods, for debris from the kiln wallsor roof to lodge upon the coated surfaces of the tiles, or drops ofglazing material accumulating upon the roof of the kiln chamber maybecome deposited upon the coated tiles, resulting in defective orimperfect prod ucts, degrading them. The employment of my racksovercomesthis objection for the reason that the top member acts as aroof for the tiles loaded in the rack, said roof being im perforate inconstruction and the area of said roof extending the, area of theindividual tiles which are loaded in spaced order upon the shelves ofthe rack.

It ispreferred to construct the base member of the rackin way for theheat and gases present in the muffle chamber to have access freely tothe uiulerf-zurface of the base lncniher, equalizing the effect of theheat and gases upon tae material composing said base meinl'ier, and thusminimizing a tendency of the base member to crack under the eilect ofthe heat, resulting in prolonged service oi the tile setter.

Qthcr functions and advantages of my invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a vertical cross section through a mullle kiln illustratingmy tile setters positioned for movement therein by conveyor slabs, twoof said tile setters being shown in diiierent positions within aplurality of mufile chambers.

Figure 2- is a perspective view of one of my tile setters detached fromthe kiln, showing said setter on a larger scale.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the setter inipcsed upon a conveyor slab,the latter being in section, and the draft pin being shown to affordanchoring means for the tile setter upon the conveyor slab.

Figure lis an inverted, or bottom, plan view of the tile setter,illustrating the formation of the bottom for the flow or" heatand belowthe setter.

The device, called a setter for convenient designation, embodies in itsconstruction a bottom member or base A, a top member or root B, and aplurality of columns C, l), extending between the bottom and the top,all of the parts constituting a unitary struc ture convenience inhandling. Accord ing to my invention, the setter is a one-piece device,being cast in appropriate molds and composed of a susstance or acomposition which suitalfle tor molding and which is tired in an-ppi'opi'iate kiln tar producinga vitrified pr .ict capable ofwithstanding the high been employed in kilns for iirine' the coatingapplied to ceramic products wherel'r a glaze is produced on Sill'n.products.

lhe base 1%. a part of generally flat rectangular form the under surfaceof which is l ne ed to provide for the free flow of heat A convenientform of such channeling shown in Figure -1, wherein the channe s a, a",eivtend lengthwise and cross face. Said channels 0, intersect withcl'iannel. at, and the channels o n through the edges of the basemember, resulting in webs a whereby the base is adapted to rest upon acoi'iveyor-slab H in a way to slightly raise the body portion of thebase and thus allow the heat and to have free access to the channels a,the result which is that all parts of the base are exposed to heat andsaid base becomes heated.

The columns C, D, are parallel with each other and at right angles tothe base and the top. To reduce a tendency to fracture under heating andcooling operations, each col unni is 01" channeled formation, reducingthe cross section of heat-resisting material or composition employed inthe production ot the setter. As shown, each column has a. longitudinalchannel 0 with one or more cross webs c.

For supporting the ware, the columns (J, D, are provided with shelves onthe inner laces which are in opposing relation, the shelves of column Cbeing indicated at E in the drawings, whereas the shelves of column I)are shown at E. The shelves are integral with the columns, and theyextend horizontally from said columns, with the shelves E of column C inthe same horizontal planes as the shelves E of column D. The shelves arelong enough to support the tiles loaded on the setter, but said shelvesare relatively narrow, being of a width to receive the marginal portionsof the tiles, as shown in Figure 1. Each shelf E or E is bounded on oneside with a ledge or shoulder 6, parallel to the shelf and integral withthe column, said ledge functioning as means for directing the tile whensliding it into place on the companion shelves of the two columns.

The tiles are thus supported on the shelves in positions between thecolumns, and the shelves support the tiles in spaced relation and in amanner to expose the surfaces at the top and bottom to the heat andgases which are free to flow between the components of the setter andbetween the tiles in a manner to have free and unobstructed acc ss tothe coatings applied to the tiles beiore firing them in the muffle kiln.

In order that there may be no hindrance to the accessibility 01" heatand gases to the tiles, and particularly the marginal portions thereof,the columns C, D, are pro'vided with vent openings l, the l tteroccupying such relation to the shelves 11,131, as to alternatetherewith, whereby heat may flow through openings l* in the columns andcirculate above the marginal portions of the tiles on the upper glazecoated surfaces-i of such tiles.

The top nicnibcrll is in the form oil a flat late t-Plftilltliiij overthe space hounded by t io columns C, D. said top member being in one pice with the columns. 'll c plate 13 and base A join the columns at theends thcr-co't,

they span the Spaces intervening the res E. E. the entire middle part orthe being open and unobstructed and the open space being interrupted toa slight tent only by the formation of the shelves, two series of narrowshelves being provided, one series on each column at the inner sideportion thereof. it

v The setter when out of the kiln is adapted to be loaded with tiles,such as G in Figure 1, said tiles being introduced usually by hand andby sliding the individual tiles into place upon the shelves E, E, eachtile resting at the respective side portions thereof upon two of theshelves. When loaded, the setter and its load are deposited upon a slabH of a conveyor of the kind disclosed in the Prouty patent hereinbeforeidentified. The loaded setter may be placed upon the conveyor slabcrosswise of the latter, as shown at the left in Figure 1; or saidloaded setter may be placed with the base thereof lengthwise of theconveyor slab, as shown at the right in Figure 1; but in either positionupon the conveyor slab, the loaded setter is anchored relatively to theslab by appropriate separable retaining means operable to hold thesetter in a determined relation to the conveyor slab. Various forms ofretaining means may be employed, but as shown in Figure 3 it ispreferred to provide the conveyor slab H with an upstaiiiding stud orpin it and to provide an opening 71. in the base A of the setter, saidstud and the opening producing a simple and effcient separable retainingmeans.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description,but may be sumn'iarized briefly as follows IVVith the setters out of thekiln, the tiles G are loaded on the setters by sliding each tilehorizontally upon companion shelves E, E, of a pair of shelves. Thetiles are held by the shelves in spaced order, one above the other, andthey occupy the open space of the setter between the columns C, D, andbetween base A and top B. The loaded setter is deposited upon a slab Hof the conveyor, being retained thereon by the draft pin it of theseparable retaining means, which pin occupies the opening h in base A.The loaded setters are carried by the conveyor slabs II into thechambers I of a muffle oven J, Figure 1, said conveyor slabs slidingupon the sole 2' of the muffle chamber I. With the loaded setters atrest upon the conveyor slabs, the latter are pushed by ap propriatemeans into the muffle chambers wherein they proceed slowly in order toexpose the tiles to the heat flowing within the chambers I. By spacingthe tiles within the setters and by the skeleton formation of thesetters, the heat circulates freely through all parts of the setter andinto the required contact with the coated surfaces of the tiles. lVhenthe tiles are thus exposed to the heat within the muffle chambers, thetops B of the setters protect the coated tiles from deposits of foreignmatter, such as mortar dropping from the kiln walls and the roof of themuflle chambers, as well as affording protection to the coated tilesfrom drops of glazing substances which exhibit a tendency to accumulateon the roof of chamber I and to drop, more or less regularly, upon thecoated tiles when unprotected by the'top member B of the setter. Itshould be stated that the top member is in overhanging relation to thetier of tiles loaded upon the setter, the area of said top member Bexceeding the sizes of tiles adapted to be loaded on the setter.Further, the til-es areyprior to loading on the setter, prepared byproducing a bisque which is fired and then the fired bisque is providedwith a coating of appropriate glaze composition, whereupon the coatedtiles are loaded on the setters and are moved within the mul'llechambers for exposing the coatings to heat in order to fire the glaze.After passing within the muffle chamber the loaded setters are cooledand then the tiles are discharged by removing them from the setter or bydumping the setter for the tiles to slide off the shelves.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1 A ceramic support embodying a plurality of columns, and a plurality ofseries of shelves on said columns, said shelves extending inwardly fromthe columns and said shelves of one column being separated anddisconnected from the shelves of the other column, each column beingprovided with perforations for the free flow of heat across saidshelves.

2. A ceramic support comprising a base, a plurality of columns, a topmember, shelves integral with the columns and extending inwardlytherefrom, said columns being con nected at their respective ends by thebase and the top member and the support intermediate the shelves beingopen and unobstructed.

3. A ceramic support comprising a base, a top member, a plurality ofcolumns connected by the base and the top member, and shelves integralwith the columns and extending inwardly therefrom, said top memberoverhanging the shelves and affording protection against the lodgment offoreign material upon ceramic products loaded on said shelves.

4. A ceramic support embodying a base, a top member, a plurality ofcolumns connected by said base and top membeig and shelves integral withthe columns and extending inwardly therefrom, said base being channeledon the undersurface thereof for the free flow of heat below the support.

5. A support for ceramic ware embodying a base, a top member, aplurality of columns, and shelves extending inwardly from said columns,said base being provided with an opening adapted for the reception of adraft pin on a conveyor slot.

6. The combination with a conveyor slab, of a support upward thereon forcarrying a load of ceramic products to be fired, and a separableconnection between said conveyor slab and the support whereby thesupport travels with the conveyor slab and displacement of the supportrelatively to the conveyor slab is arrested.

7. The combination of a conveyor slab provided with a draft lug or pin,and a prefired skeletonized support provided in the bottom thereof witha draft aperture, said support being imposed upon the conveyor slab thestud or pin of which is engaged with said d aft aperture to formtherewith a separable connection.

8. A support for ceramic ware comprising a. bare having channels in theunderside thereof, a plurality of columns, a top member overhanging thecolumns and the base, shelves integral with the columns and e'ltendinginwardly from the same, said shelves of one column being disaonnectedfrom the shelves of the other column, and openings in said columns, saidopenings off one column alternating wi rh the shelves of the samecolumn.

9. A device of the character described comp isingg' a plurality ofcolumns, and a series of integral shelves on each column, said shelvesextending inwardly tor a short distanee from the columns, one of saidcolumns being slotted to permit the "free flow of heat across saidshelves.

10. A device ot the character described comprising a plurality ofcolumns, shelves 'l'ormcd integrally with each column, said shelves ofone column being spaced and disconnected from the shelves of the othercolumn and a ledge formed on each shelf to provide a positioning meansfor the ceramic articles to be fired.

11. A ceramic support embodying a base, a top member, plurality ofcolumns connected by said base and top member, and shelves integral withthe columns and extend ing inwardly therefrom raid base having aplurality of channels on the under surface thereof which communicatewith the edges of the support and allow a tree llow of heat below thesupport.

A support tor ceramic ware comprising a one piece ujiolded structurehaving a base, a top member, a plurality of columns connecting said baseand top member, a series of shelves integral with each column, saidshelves of one column being spaced and disconnected from the shelves ofthe other column.

In testimony whereof I have hereto signed my name this 30th day of June,1928.

lVILLIAM MCCOY.

